SEC commissioner Greg Sankey's decision to take the stage without a necktie at SEC Media Days on Monday afternoon was a calculated one. He did so to honor the late former Mississippi State coach Mike Leach who, among his many eccentricities, hated wearing neckties.
"Last year in Atlanta, one of my backstage conversations was about the uselessness of neckties," Sankey said. "It was a conversation that went much longer than I anticipated and it ended in the rhetorical question of why neckties survived but powdered wigs went away. That conversation was with Mike Leach and today I'm without a tie, just to honor Mike's memory."
"We're going to miss Mike, but he is not going to be forgotten." @GregSankey honored Mike Leach at SEC media days ❤️ @HailStateFB pic.twitter.com/jN2NHRTAkk
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) July 17, 2023
Leach died in December 2022 from complications due to a heart condition. He had just led Mississippi State to an 8-4 season -- his best record in three years with the Bulldogs -- and a berth in the ReliaQuest Bowl.
"You know, we lost Mike in December," Sankey said. "A person important, not simply to the Southeastern Conference -- we only had him for a few seasons -- but to all of college football. He was fascinating and impacted the lives of thousands of people across the college football spectrum and across his life. He provided wedding advice, evaluated Halloween candy and if you ended up in a phone call talking about history, you better have scheduled a great deal of time as he recited his historical knowledge.
"He also observed the world from a perspective that made you think. It often made you laugh and sometimes made you just perplexed. It's important that we remember people who have contributed, be it for the short term or the long term, to this wonderful conference. We're going to miss Mike, but he's not going to be forgotten."
Leach compiled a 19-17 record at Mississippi State. The Bulldogs made a bowl in each of his three seasons. Zach Arnett was named head coach after serving as Leach's defensive coordinator. He led Mississippi State to a 19-10 win against Illinois in last season's ReliaQuest Bowl.
